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I was away for most of last week, but I was able to ask readers and followers this question on Twitter: “There are some on this website who say Donald Trump’s first criminal trial is very bad for him politically. I have said the same. Is it true? Obviously, we can’t know yet, but what are you thinking?”

The former president is charged in Manhattan with business fraud and other crimes in connection with payments to Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about their sexual relationship in a bid to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. Last week saw jury selection. This week sees opening statements, then witness testimony for the prosecution. 

After asking the question, I sorta kinda expected people to react with more hopelessness than hope. I was surprised, though. If there was a consensus, it was this: Of course a criminal trial is bad. No one ever experienced a criminal trial and came out of the ordeal unscathed.

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What I’m thinking is that jurors will see a petulant man-child who looks down on everyone and has no respect for the law. I’ve been on quite a few juries for criminal trials and I can guarantee that seeing him in person will have an effect on the jury. It’s already bad for him. –Kerry Perkins

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“I don’t get this crap,” wrote @WizzyProbsII. “There’s no universe where being on trial is good. There’s no world where being a convicted felon helps politically. And who cares anyway? If he crimed, convict him.”

Bruce Bartlett, a well-known conservative intellectual, was more subtle. “Trump’s trials will provide little new information to reporters who have been covering him,” he said. “But they have adamantly refused to remind readers of what has already been revealed because it’s old news. The trials force them to revisit evidence that most people never knew.”

Others noted the considerable toll on Trump personally. 

“Sleeping and possibly farting in court, and stumbling like he just got off a rollercoaster, but he was actually just sitting still for eight hours, to go yell poor-me gibberish at cameras for six weeks will definitely hurt him, regardless of the outcome,” wrote @iLOVEnewyork83.

Read on for more. If you follow me on Twitter, you might find yourself in there. All responses have been edited for clarity, brevity and context.

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It will chip away at the margins where close elections are won or lost. –Cheri Jacobus

It may say something about the diminishing intensity of his support. Notice the maga protest at the courthouse is tiny. –Patrick W Watson

I’m convinced just having the trial and having the disgusting facts played out again on a daily basis is what Trump really feared. It’ll probably be a hung jury, but the damage to Trump will have been done. –@ironyabounds

What I’m thinking is that jurors will see a petulant man-child who looks down on everyone and has no respect for the law. I’ve been on quite a few juries for criminal trials and I can guarantee that seeing him in person will have an effect on the jury. It’s already bad for him. –Kerry Perkins

Trump’s going to have to lay off the “Sleepy Joe” cracks for a while. It’s terrible for his image for the nation to see him dozing in his smeary makeup. –Lindsay Beyerstein

I don’t think a criminal trial is good for anyone. –Jenny Gattone

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The maga cult would support him if he slaughtered a puppy on live TV.  They’re beyond reach. But there’s no universe in which being on trial and convicted helps him. It’ll probably result in some Republicans sitting this election out – which is good for Biden and democracy. –RD Davis

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What deserves more attention: How sitting through the trial may drive Trump’s derangement too far for the normalizing forces to contain. It would be ironic almost just if he managed to get a hung jury but lost in a landslide because he went 100 percent crazy uncle. –Paul Rosenberg

Good with his base, but with the general public it’s all bad, unless he gets a hung jury or an acquittal. –Hussein Ibish

I think the overall impact will be low. The only voter influence it may have will be on independents and the unknown quantity of Republicans navigating the fence. A conviction is likely, but Republicans will dismiss it as unfair – trial in New York; a Manhattan jury, etc. –Michelle Wilbert

It changes how the media treats him … which is very bad for him and even vastly worse if he’s convicted. –Jim Balter

Appeal or not, if judged guilty by the jury, he will be a convicted felon. A large percent of Haley voters said if convicted they wouldn’t vote for him. And if a small percentage do cross over, that’s a net-positive for Joe Biden. A conviction for election interference will hurt Trump. –David Peace

It’s bad. When [former publisher of the National Enquirer] David Pecker takes the stand and tells the world how he planted untrue stories for Trump on his political opponents and killed true stories on Donny’s obscene behavior by paying off the women he abused or had affairs with, the jury will get it. –@gaialuv 

Having the details of your sleazy, illegal attempts to defraud voters by concealing your sordid escapades exposed, and potentially facing years in prison, would be good for you only on the Bizarro Planet. We’re closer to being in that world than I’d like. Still, a net-minus. –Jim Snowden

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It’s true. Not particularly because of the severity of the charges, but if he’s convicted on any of them, he’ll be a felon, which will enhance his sentencing in future trials (of which there will be several). –@Geir7994

People are going to be reminded of a lot of sordid stuff they’d forgotten about Donald Trump and his band of grifters. It may not be bad for him, but it’s not going to be good, either. –@MmeDefargeKnits

I think legally it won’t be so bad, but it will be a huge narcissistic injury for Trump. He will be forced to listen to the true record as [his former attorney Michael] Cohen and others testify under oath, and he will be prohibited from presenting  his preferred false narrative and everyone will see it. –@davebirr

There are a significant number of people who believe that being guilty of a crime should exclude someone from running for office. I am sure some people would support him, but some would not if he is found guilty. If Trump lost even a half a percent of voters, it’s bad for him. –Mark McCoy

Most Trump supporters know he is a liar and cheat, but they admire him because he gets away with it. If he looks weak and beaten, it will hurt him bigly. –@timpplex

The maga cult would support him if he slaughtered a puppy on live TV.  They’re beyond reach. But there’s no universe in which being on trial and convicted helps him. It’ll probably result in some Republicans sitting this election out – which is good for Biden and democracy. –RD Davis